Day School Tuition Fund

The UJA Day School Tuition Fund is designed to broaden access to Jewish day school education and support families seeking a deeper connection to Jewish life. In recognition of the families and professionals who strengthen our community, the fund will provide meaningful tuition support to eligible families: those enrolling in Jewish day school for the first time, and families of Jewish communal professionals.
UJA is committing $15 million — $5 million per year for three years — to fund this initial pilot. This initiative reflects UJA’s ongoing commitment to the future of Jewish education and its accessibility to a broad and diverse community.

The program officially launched in Fall 2025, with tuition support beginning in the 2026 – 2027 school year for the inaugural cohort of families.

Applications for Cohort 2 will open in November 2026. 

We invite you to explore our FAQ to learn more about eligibility, participating schools, and program details.

Questions?
Families with application questions should contact: [email protected]
Schools, funders, or other organizations should contact:

Apply now

FAQ and Eligibility

Is this scholarship available to all day school families?

  • In this pilot program, awards are available for two categories of families: (1) first-time day school families transferring a student with no prior day school/yeshiva history, and (2) families in which at least one parent works full time at a Jewish communal organization (see school, grade level, employment, and income requirements immediately below).

Which grade level does my child need to be in to qualify for this program?

  • For the Jewish Communal Professional track, students must be entering grades K–12.

  • For first-time day school families, with no prior day school/yeshiva history, students must be entering grades 6–12 and transferring from public or secular private schools to an eligible Jewish day school. 

Is there an income eligibility requirement for this program?

  • To be eligible for this scholarship, your household must earn $350,000 or less annually. A review of finances will be part of the application process.

  • Eligibility will be reviewed each year. For households whose income increases, eligibility will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Which schools are eligible for this scholarship program?

  • o    Schools eligible for the scholarship program are located in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester, and take part in UJA’s Fund for Jewish Education (FJE). See list of schools below.

I work at a Jewish communal organization. Is my child eligible for this scholarship?

Do I still need to apply directly to my school(s) of choice?

  • Yes, you must apply to your school of choice. Application to UJA’s scholarship program  does not replace any application necessary for admission or renewed enrollment at a school.

  • This scholarship process may not align perfectly with your school's admissions process. Applications are reviewed in monthly intervals. You will be notified of your status at the close of that review period. 

  • In parallel, you must complete your school’s application and enrollment process in full before a scholarship is awarded. Funds will be sent directly to schools once enrollment at an eligible school (and, if relevant, employment at an eligible community-based organization) has been verified. Please see below to understand how awards are calculated.

  • Families applying for this scholarship must let their intended school(s) know they are applying for this scholarship award. 

I work at a Jewish communal organization. Is my child eligible for this scholarship?

  • Organizations that are part of UJA’s network of core partner agencies and organizations are eligible. Please review the lists of eligible schools and organizations to understand which Jewish communal organizations are eligible under this scholarship program.

Is there a required length of professional service to qualify for this scholarship?

  • You must have been working at one of the eligible organizations for at least three years. The application will require a letter of verification from an executive member of your organization’s staff.

  • Eligible employees must work at least 30 hours per week at their organization.

If I work at one of the eligible schools, or at a synagogue, is my family eligible for this scholarship?

  • In this pilot, only staff who work at one of the listed Jewish communal organizations are eligible.

Will this scholarship only apply for one school year?

  • If you are awarded this scholarship, you will receive the scholarship for three years, assuming your family continues to meet program eligibility requirements. For families accepted to Cohort 1, the scholarship will apply to tuition beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. For families accepted to Cohort 2, the scholarship will apply to tuition beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.

How much is each scholarship worth?

  • UJA will cover no more than 50%* of what your family is billed, after school-based tuition assistance. This program is designed to be a three-way partnership between your family, your school, and UJA-Federation of New York.

  • Jewish communal professionals with children enrolled in day school:
    • Maximum of $15,000 per child
    • Up to 50% of the family’s total day school tuition bill
    • Cap of $30,000 per family

  • Families transferring their students from public or secular private schools into Jewish day schools::
    • Maximum of $18,000 per child entering grades 6 – 8
    • Maximum of $20,000 per child entering grades 9 – 12
    • Up to 50% of the family’s total day school tuition bill
    • Cap of $40,000 per family

Do I still need to apply directly to my school(s) of choice?

  • Application to this scholarship program does not replace any application necessary for admission or renewed enrollment at a school.

  • This scholarship process may not align perfectly with your school's admissions process. You will be notified of your family's scholarship award at the completion of the DSTF process.

  • In parallel, you must complete your school’s application and enrollment process in full before a scholarship is awarded. Funds will be sent directly to schools once enrollment at an eligible school (and, if relevant, employment at an eligible community-based organization) has been verified.

It’s early in the year and I’m not sure if I’m ready to make the decision about transferring my child. Should I apply?

  • Yes, UJA is here to ease this decision-making process. The application for transfer students will remain open through late Spring 2027. Please consult your potential school’s application timelines as they may differ from UJA’s deadlines.

When will the application process open?

  • The application for the 2027–2028 school year will open in November 2026. Please check back here for more details and the link to apply. 

How will my application be assessed?

  • Applications will be reviewed on a first come first served basis, with discretion by UJA leadership for equitable distribution among regions, schools, and organizations.

When will I receive the scholarship funds?

  • The scholarship funds will be sent directly to your child’s school and will be applied to your tuition bill. Scholarship funds will be released when UJA has received verification of enrollment (and, if relevant, employment at an eligible community-based organization).

If I receive this scholarship, can I still receive financial aid from my school?

  • Yes, you can still receive a financial aid package from your school. When you apply for tuition assistance at your school, UJA requires that you disclose your scholarship from the DSTF to the school’s scholarship committee. Please be in touch with your school’s financial aid team for specific questions.

The following schools are eligible for the Day School Tuition Fund Scholarship:

  • Abraham Joshua Heschel School
  • Barkai Foundation
  • Be'er Hagolah Institute
  • Beit Rabban Day School
  • Beth Jacob Parochial School of East Side & Esther Schoenfeld High School
  • Bobover Yeshivah Bnei Zion
  • East Flatbush Religious School for Girls
  • Emet Classical Academy
  • Gesher Yehuda
  • Hannah Senesh Community Day School
  • Hebrew Academy of Long Beach - HALB
  • Hebrew Academy of Nassau County - HANC
  • Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway - HAFTR
  • IVDU Schools
  • Kinneret Day School
  • Kulanu Academy
  • Lev Bais Yaakov
  • Long Island Hebrew Academy
  • Luria Academy
  • Magen David Yeshivah
  • Manhattan High School for Girls
  • Mazel Day School
  • Mercaz Academy
  • Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Greater Long Island
  • North Shore Hebrew Academy
  • North Shore Hebrew High School
  • Park East Day School
  • Ptach
  • Queens Hebrew Academy (Solomon Schechter School of Queens)
  • Ramaz School
  • Rodeph Sholom School
  • SAR Academy and High School
  • Schechter School of Long Island
  • Sinai Academic Center
  • The Leffell School
  • The SAM School
  • The Shefa School
  • United Lubavitcher Yeshiva
  • Westchester Day School
  • Westchester Hebrew High School
  • Westchester Torah Academy
  • Yeshiva Bais Limudei Hashem - The Jewish Center for Special Education
  • Yeshiva Darchei Torah
  • Yeshiva Har Torah
  • Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island
  • Yeshiva of Central Queens
  • Yeshiva of Flatbush
  • Yeshiva of South Shore
  • Yeshiva Ohavei Torah
  • Yeshiva Ohr Torah - Manhattan Day School
  • Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
  • Yeshiva Tiferes Bunim D'Munkacs
  • Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel
  • Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe
  • Yeshiva Torah Vodaath
  • Yeshiva University High School for Boys
  • Yeshiva University High School for Girls
  • Yeshivat Or Hatorah

The following organizations are eligible for the Day School Tuition Fund Scholarship:

  • 70 Faces Media
  • 92NY
  • Adamah
  • Barry and Florence Friedberg Jewish Community Center
  • Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camps
  • Boro Park Y
  • Bronx House Jewish Community Center
  • College of Staten Island Hillel
  • Commonpoint Queens
  • Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemeteries (CAJAC)
  • Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations, Inc. (COJECO)
  • CZ Wellness Group Inc (Camp Zeke)
  • DOROT
  • Eden Village Camp
  • Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst
  • Harold and Elaine Shames Jewish Community Center on the Hudson
  • Hebrew Educational Society
  • Hebrew Free Burial Association
  • Hebrew Free Loan Society
  • Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds
  • Hillel at Baruch College
  • Hillel at Binghamton University
  • Hillel International
  • Hillels of Westchester
  • Hofstra University Hillel
  • Hunter College Hillel
  • Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA)
  • Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services
  • Jewish Child Care Association of New York
  • Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester
  • Jewish Community Center of Staten Island
  • Jewish Community Centers Association of North America
  • Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY)
  • Jewish Deaf Resource Center
  • Jewish Federations of North America
  • Kings Bay Y
  • Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life (Columbia/Barnard Hillel)
  • Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center Manhattan
  • Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
  • Mid-Island Y Jewish Community Center
  • Moise Safra Center
  • Mosholu-Montefiore Community Center
  • New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
  • Queens College Hillel
  • Rising Treetops at Oakhurst
  • Selfhelp Community Services
  • Sephardic Community Center (The Center)
  • Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton - Manhattan Beach
  • Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center
  • Snyder Hillel Center Stony Brook University
  • Surprise Lake Camp
  • Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College
  • The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
  • The Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life: Hillel at NYU
  • The Educational Alliance (14th Street Y)
  • The Educational Alliance (Manny Cantor Center)
  • The Jewish Agency for Israel
  • The Jewish Education Project
  • The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC Inc.
  • The New Jewish Home
  • The New York Board of Rabbis
  • The Riverdale Y
  • The Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center
  • UJA-Federation of New York
  • Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts
  • Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
  • Westchester Jewish Council
  • YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood

Is this scholarship available to all day school families?

  • In this pilot program, awards are available for two categories of families: (1) first-time day school families transferring a student with no prior day school/yeshiva history, and (2) families in which at least one parent works full time at a Jewish communal organization (see school, grade level, employment, and income requirements immediately below).

Which grade level does my child need to be in to qualify for this program?

  • For the Jewish Communal Professional track, students must be entering grades K–12.

  • For first-time day school families, with no prior day school/yeshiva history, students must be entering grades 6–12 and transferring from public or secular private schools to an eligible Jewish day school. 

Is there an income eligibility requirement for this program?

  • To be eligible for this scholarship, your household must earn $350,000 or less annually. A review of finances will be part of the application process.

  • Eligibility will be reviewed each year. For households whose income increases, eligibility will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.